Latest news with #Subrahmanyam
Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Centre-State coordination to make India a global investment destination: NITI Aayog CEO
New Delhi: BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, on Thursday underscored the critical role of state-level execution in shaping India's overall investment climate. During a high-level workshop on ease of doing business and investment promotion in New Delhi, he emphasised that there is much to learn from within the country itself, citing the diversity of successful models across states. Subrahmanyam called for streamlined systems, enhanced accountability, and coordinated efforts between the Centre and states to make India the most attractive and dependable destination for global capital. The workshop brought together senior policymakers to accelerate business reforms across India. Deliberations were held across seven core reform areas vital to investment facilitation and improving the ease of doing business at the sub-national level. These included Decriminalisation of Laws; Deregulation and Compliance Burden Reduction; Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) Implementation; Development of Industrial Infrastructure; Single Window Clearance Systems; Financial and Taxation Reforms; Investment Promotion Strategies. During the session on decriminalization and compliance reform, several states presented their ongoing initiatives stemming from the Jan Vishwas Act 1.0, highlighting efforts to decriminalize minor business-related offences at the State level. States also emphasised a shift toward enhancing the "Speed of Doing Business", with a focus on reducing the number of stages in the business lifecycle to enable faster, more seamless operations for enterprises. The discussion underscored the need to convert minor business offences into civil penalties, while also streamlining compliance mechanisms to reduce the burden on entrepreneurs. States shared examples of removing imprisonment clauses, adopting self-certification regimes, removal of licence renewal and simplifying regulatory touchpoints to encourage ease of compliance and build trust with businesses. There was also a strong emphasis on aligning state-level actions with the national Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) framework, ensuring that reforms lead to measurable and comparable improvements. Industry representatives advocated for the enactment of a national-level legislation to harmonise decriminalization and compounding provisions, across States. They also suggested the introduction of a Trusted Taxpayers Programme for both direct and indirect taxes, to incentivize compliance and promote a more facilitative regulatory environment. The session on Investment Promotion Strategies stressed the need to institutionalise investment promotion as a continuous, core State function rather than an event-based activity. States presented innovative, sector-specific strategies grounded in local strengths and global demand trends. Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog, noted that ease of doing business is a work in progress and stressed the importance of reforms at the municipal level within states. He highlighted the potential for collaboration between NITI Aayog and DPIIT to support states in adopting a principle-based approach to decriminalisation. SCL Das, Secretary, Ministry of MSME, highlighted the need to strengthen the institutional interface of MSMEs with CBIC and State/UT governments.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Sanjaya Baru writes: After Op Sindoor, lessons from Manmohan and Vajpayee governments on communication
Several experts and analysts have commented on poor, even faulty, messaging in the conduct of Operation Sindoor — before, during and after the operation. What were the faults? Before the operation began, it was not made clear that India would only target terrorist camps across the border and the Line of Control (LoC). While this was the stated objective of the government, there was no such clarity in the media on the nature of the Indian response to the Pahalgam attack. This raised expectations within India on what the Indian Armed Forces would do and subsequently contributed to disappointment at home. Bombastic claims by senior ruling party leaders about occupying Pakistan-occupied Kashmir did not help. Second, during the conflict, there was no communication within India and to the international community as to what was actually happening and what India's objectives were. Third, after the conflict ended, there was confusion on (a) the reasons for the ceasefire; (b) terms of the ceasefire and; (c) the nature of future red lines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that Operation Sindoor has not ended and is merely on hold has raised more questions than provide answers. Statements made overseas by the Chief of Defence Staff and by an Indian defence attache on the political guidelines within which the armed forces operated have added to this problem of mixed messaging. All this gives the impression that the military and civil leadership are not on the same page in their messaging on Operation Sindoor. Against this background, several analysts have drawn attention to the need for better 'strategic communication'. The funny thing is that the subject of 'strategic communication' has been discussed time and again within and outside the government and certainly within the national security establishment. Yet, it seems few lessons have been learnt from past experience. I have myself lectured on this subject, based on the experience during the Kargil War, more than once at the National Defence College. It is instructive to recall what had happened at that time. After hostilities began in the Kargil region, an army spokesperson was providing regular briefings to the media. The Kargil War was the first conflict in South Asia during which private Indian television wished to travel to the battle zones and cover events live. They were inspired by the example set by CNN during the first Gulf War in 1990. The then convenor of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), the late K Subrahmanyam, felt that better and more professional media management was needed. It may be recalled that Subrahmanyam, the guru of strategic policy analysts, had spent the 1990s in newspaper offices, first at the Business and Political Observer and later at The Times of India, and had a good grasp of how the media thinks and acts. At his instance, the NSAB constituted a media advisory sub-committee chaired by Subrahmanyam and including N N Vohra (a former defence secretary), J N Dixit (a former foreign secretary and later the National Security Advisor), Major General Afsar Karim and myself (I was then Editor, The Financial Express). Our first recommendation to the then National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra was that rather than an army officer, a diplomat adept at such communication should do media briefings on a daily basis. The then joint secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in-charge of external publicity, the late Raminder Singh Jassal, was tasked to conduct the daily briefings. Raminder was a talented and skilled diplomat, with good media handling skills and a sound understanding of India's strategic aims and objectives. The NSAB media sub-committee would meet every day at 11 am in the room of the then-deputy NSA Satish Chandra. The minutes of our meeting would be communicated to the NSA who would then brief Jassal. The daily media briefings played an important role in shaping both domestic understanding and expectations from the conflict and global appreciation of India's strategy and tactics. Global opinion turned decisively in India's favour with the United States supporting the Indian view on Kashmir for the very first time. President Bill Clinton endorsed the idea implicit to the Simla Agreement that the LoC would be the de facto boundary between India and Pakistan. It was on the basis of the conduct and outcome of the Kargil War that its main architect, General Pervez Musharraf, began to engage India. Regrettably, though, the Musharraf visit to India and his meeting with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Agra in July 2001 proved a failure and the progress expected did not materialise. It was then left to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take the baton forward. In September 2004, when Prime Minister Singh decided to engage President Musharraf, he was advised by most of his senior officials not to undertake such a risky exercise so early in his term in office. He not only began a conversation but invited President Musharraf to Delhi in April 2005. Once again, the national security and diplomatic establishment was concerned about the political fallout of the meeting. In Agra, the Indian media was seen as being better briefed by the Pakistan delegation than by the Indian side. It was felt Musharraf had been let off too easily with senior editors being charmed by the general. Prime Minister Singh tasked me to develop a media strategy for the Musharraf visit. With the support of senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office, I conducted several closed-door media briefings to different groups of journalists and analysts. This helped shape expectations of the visit and the visit went off without any embarrassment for the country or the PM. There would be other such past episodes that others involved in media management would know. There are some very competent officers in the Indian Information Service as well as in the defence establishment. If media messaging is handled professionally, the country would be better served. It is the over-the-top, highly dramatised, purely ideological and sensational reporting by several media establishments during Operation Sindoor that has damaged Indian reputation and credibility. As many around the world have commented, pro-Modi media outfits have done more harm than good for India's image and case vis-a-vis Operation Sindoor. Responsible and professional coverage, including putting out authentic information in time would have served the national interest better. What has further weakened the Indian case is the fact that the media that did the greatest damage to the country's reputation is viewed as being pro-government. Credible strategic communication requires a credible medium. The writer was member, National Security Advisory Board of India, 1999-2001 and media advisor to the Prime Minister of India, 2004-08
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
In era of AI, ‘chalta hai' attitude towards data quality won't work: Niti Aayog CEO
Calling for greater focus on ensuring high-quality data, Niti Aayog Chief Executive Officer BVR Subrahmanyam on Tuesday said a 'chalta hai' attitude will not work especially in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) where data is used as an input. 'India is heavy as far as digitalisation is concerned. We have got the JAM (Jan Dhan Yojna, Aadhar, mobile) trinity, UPI, the account aggregator framework, ONDC. India is one of the leaders in the world in applying digital technologies in day-to-day life… If UPI had been invented 40 years ago, three big companies wouldn't have existed: Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.' 'So, India has a fantastic foundation to take a futuristic leap. But the problem is that this 'chalta hai' attitude, where we are OK with things which are 80 per cent OK, a first division, or a distinction… The problem with data is that it has to be 100 per cent (correct),' Subrahmanyam said at the release of a Niti Aayog report titled India's Data Imperative: The Pivot Towards Quality. Citing his past work as a joint secretary in the Prime Minister's Office on the disbursal of LPG subsidies under the PAHAL scheme, Subrahmanyam said even if 95 per cent of transfers were successful, 5 per cent bouncing back would mean lakhs of people would not get the subsidy. 'In India, we can't go by percentages; we will have to go to the Japanese quality level of 0.0001 per cent. That is the level you need… That's where data quality becomes important.' 'We are now entering the era of AI. We are mining data to get intelligent inputs. But if our data is bad — anyway a lot of these things hallucinate — then they will hallucinate on bad data, which is even worse. So, data quality is extremely important. We need to move from good enough to high confidence. We need to be very confident about the quality of data that is there,' he added. In its report, the Niti Aayog highlighted the problems caused by even small errors, such as pensions getting blocked due to a single wrong digit during Aadhaar enrolment. Subrahmanyam cited his own name as an example, which did not conform to the first name-second name format, and said he was a 'victim of data'. 'No two things which I have, have the same name; somewhere it is BVR Subrahmanyam, somewhere it is Bhamidipati. So my demat account is currently locked. Half my bank accounts are locked because I can't do KYC. My Aadhaar does not match my government ID, my government ID does not match my pensioner card. Believe it or not, as many IDs I have, I have as many bank accounts,' the Niti CEO said. 'It is digital death if you have one item wrongly fit. In the modern world, you are dead because everything is transacted online.' The report said incorrect entries had to be stopped through automated checks and standard pick-lists, with every high-value dataset requiring a specific 'steward' with the authority to correct and improve records on a constant basis. Further, to ensure the seamless movement of data across agencies, a common framework for people, places, and programmes needs to be adopted. 'Together, these three practices turn today's fragmented information into a reliable asset that analytics, AI, and service delivery can use without sacrificing trust,' the report said, adding that 'good' data should be accurate, complete, consistent, timely, valid, and unique. Speaking at the launch of the Niti report, Saurabh Garg, Secretary in the Ministry of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), said the ministry had last week met 30 other ministries on the issue of data quality. 'We are focusing a lot more on what has been traditionally called administrative data… That data can really help if we are able to ensure that it is interoperable, that it is harmonised in the sense that it follows certain basic structures so that citizens' delivery of services improves,' Garg said. Siddharth Upasani is a Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. He reports primarily on data and the economy, looking for trends and changes in the former which paint a picture of the latter. Before The Indian Express, he worked at Moneycontrol and financial newswire Informist (previously called Cogencis). Outside of work, sports, fantasy football, and graphic novels keep him busy. ... Read More
Hans India
15-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Corruption remains pervasive across sectors, levels of government in India
The World Economic Outlook Report released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in April 2025 pegged India's gross domestic product (GDP) at $ 4,187.017 billion or $4 trillion, surpassing Japan's $ 4,186.431 billion. By 2028, India is expected to push its GDP to $5,584.476 billion to overtake Germany. China is the second-largest economy at $19,231.705 billion, while the US tops the list with a GDP of $30,507.217 billion. 'India has overtaken Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy,' said NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) BVR Subrahmanyam, citing the IMF data at a press conference on May 26, 2025 of the 10th NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting on 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat 2047' in New Delhi. 'We are the fourth largest economy as I speak. We are a $4 trillion economy as I speak, and this is not my data. This is IMF data. India today is larger than Japan,' said Subrahmanyam. It is the wish and prayer of 140 crore citizens of India, that is Bharat, that their beloved country becomes the largest economy of the world much before we celebrate the centenary of our independence in 2047. It is also their dream to see the annihilation of monstrous income and wealth inequalities among them as soon as possible so that they are not deprived of their right to life with dignity, equality, justice, fraternity and liberty. This will be possible only when India has unwavering commitment and will power to implement affirmative measures and welfare policies in toto. If the economy grows in terms of size, one expects that even the people's ease of living should increase in an ambiance of peace and brotherhood. Today's India is grappling with poverty, mass discrimination, sluggish justice system, poor policing, rampant corruption, and continued monopolization of national resources, opportunities, facilities and privileges by a miniscule percentage of people. Let us look at some areas of concern where the ground realities speak louder than empirical data. India faces a multitude of health challenges including a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, and significant health inequities. These challenges are further compounded by factors like poverty, lack of awareness, and lifestyle-related issues. Our country continues to grapple with high rates of infectious diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer are on the rise, becoming a leading cause of death and disability. India also faces challenges in maternal and child health, including high rates of malnutrition and mortality. Many regions, particularly rural areas, lack sufficient healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres. There is a shortage of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, especially in rural and remote areas. Significant disparities exist in access to healthcare services between urban and rural areas. Poverty, lack of education, and other socioeconomic factors contribute to health inequities. Women and marginalized communities often face additional barriers to accessing healthcare. So, we need to invest massively in the public sector healthcare Similarly, India faces significant educational challenges, particularly for marginalized communities like Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), in achieving higher Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education. Key issues include persistent inequalities, inadequate infrastructure, financial constraints, and quality concerns. Poverty, lack of access to quality schooling, and social discrimination continue to hinder educational attainment for SCs, STs, and OBCs. Rural areas and certain states or regions often lag behind in terms of educational infrastructure and opportunities, further exacerbating inequalities. There are other challenges as well. For example, girls, particularly in rural areas, face additional challenges like early marriage and household responsibilities, leading to lower enrollment and higher dropout rates. Soaring tuition fees in higher education institutions make it difficult for students from marginalized backgrounds to afford higher education. While scholarships are available, they often don't cover the full cost of education, leaving many students struggling financially. Students may resort to loans to finance their education, which can lead to significant debt burdens. Inadequate number of higher education institutions, particularly in rural and remote areas, restricts access for many students. Many institutions lack basic infrastructure like classrooms, sanitation, and access to clean drinking water, impacting the learning environment. Limited access to the internet and digital resources hinders access to information and learning opportunities. An outdated curriculum and lack of emphasis on critical thinking skills hinders students' development. A shortage of qualified and trained teachers, particularly in specialized fields, can impact the quality of education. Inadequate research facilities and support remain a major stumbling block in the advancement of knowledge and innovation. Moreover, high drop-out rates, particularly during transitions between different levels of education, indicate systemic weaknesses. Insufficient support systems for students from marginalized communities, including counseling and mentorship, can lead to attrition. Globalization has led to increased competition among Indian institutions, highlighting disparities in quality and standards. Hence, the increased competition poses challenges for weaker institutions to survive and thrive. So, we need a multi-pronged approach, including targeted interventions to improve access, affordability, and quality of education for all, with a special focus on marginalized communities. As a nation, we continue to grapple with several other systemic challenges that obstacle equitable progress. Justice remains elusive for many due to an overburdened judiciary, delayed trials, and limited access for the poor and marginalized. Legal remedies often remain out of reach for those in rural and semi-urban regions, amplifying social inequities. Income inequality is another deep-rooted concern. A small percentage of the population controls a significant portion of wealth, while a large segment struggles with subsistence. This disparity affects access to basic services, quality education, and healthcare, perpetuating poverty across generations. Opportunities – whether in education, employment, or entrepreneurship – are unevenly distributed. Urban-centric development has left rural and semi-urban areas with limited pathways to prosperity. Moreover, land holdings are highly fragmented and often disputed, especially among small and marginal farmers. Land reforms have been inconsistent, further constraining agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods. Affirmative action policies, such as reservations and targeted welfare schemes, suffer from half-hearted implementation. Bureaucratic inertia, political interference, and lack of proper targeting dilute their intended impact. Corruption remains a pervasive issue, cutting across sectors and levels of government. It erodes public trust and diverts resources meant for the poor. Compounding the issue is the poor auditing and evaluation of development and welfare schemes. Many programmes in rural and semi-urban areas lack transparency, measurable outcomes, or community feedback mechanisms, leading to leakages and inefficiencies. To move forward, we must strengthen institutions, ensure policy continuity, adopt evidence-based programme evaluations, and build a more accountable governance framework. Equitable justice, fair access to income and opportunities, and genuine implementation of reforms are critical to realizing the nation's full potential.
Mint
01-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
India's growth and urban planning: On different planets
Metro stations in Athens are like archaeological museums, featuring pottery shards and other artefacts discovered during excavations. Moscow's subway stops are like art galleries, grandiose and distinctive, adorned with ornate chandeliers and striking murals. Mumbai's recently inaugurated mid-town metro station, in contrast, turned into a water-world on 26 May, with the season's first downpour flooding its concourse and platforms. This embarrassing incident symbolizes problems with India's haphazard urbanization and its official approach to infrastructure build-up. More critically, it highlights laxity in recognizing the effects of climate change. Also Read: Seven reform pathways to bridge India's urban investment gaps What made the incident doubly disconcerting were proclamations by Niti Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam that the Indian economy had become the world's fourth-largest. The incongruity between that statement and the lived experience of Mumbai commuters and Indians coping with sub-par infrastructure elsewhere was striking. Yet, there was a common link between that statement and the flooding episode: Subrahmanyam seemed to have jumped the gun (we'll know if the Indian economy has overtaken Japan's only once the current year is over), a precipitate action like the metro station being pressed into service before it was made rain-proof. The episode also underscored the death of irony: officials attributed the flood to untimely monsoon downpours despite common knowledge that a coastal city like Mumbai witnesses heavy rainfall for four months every year. But it is not just Mumbai. The previous day saw Delhi reeling under the season's first cloudburst, with streets and underpasses flooded. A few days earlier, unseasonal May rainfall flooded large parts of Bengaluru's extended city, damaging property and causing large-scale economic losses. City after city in India suffers from the same problems every year, and yet the political or administrative classes seem either helpless in solving such well-known problems or incapable of preventing their recurrence. Also Read: Urban renewal: Indian cities need a governance overhaul It is also a fact that climate change has altered weather patterns, but authorities do not seem to have taken this into their calculations. Mumbai's monsoons, for example, are getting increasingly erratic in terms of both timing and precipitation. Yet, infrastructure projects—whether it is roads or metro station walls—routinely fail to take this into account. This anomaly sits uneasily with India's growing urbanization: about 40% of the population lives in urban areas, with many experts claiming that the number may be closer to 50% or even higher. This data uncertainty has arisen because a large section of the urban population resides in informal shelters, invisible to the formal gaze but most vulnerable to urban failures. Every city depends on this section for the delivery of multiple services, but is typically blind to their income, education, housing or health needs. Worse, they are not covered by any labour laws and usually do not have any rights. In the triangulation between various interest groups in an urban settlement—the entrepreneurial class and those employed in the formal sector, the political class, bureaucrats, municipal authorities and real estate developers—this section usually gets the short end of the stick. With little or no access to water, waste collection mechanisms, modern sanitation systems or health facilities, this cohort suffers the harshest impact of climate change and extreme weather events. Yet, the country's big-budget urban build-up seems to ignore their needs. Also Read: Urban renewal: Indian cities need a governance overhaul A Niti Aayog report titled Urban Planning Capacity in India ascribes the continuing urbanization crisis to a lack of urban planning. 'For this reason, as the state and city governments continue to solve urban issues in a firefighting mode, urban areas struggle to achieve 'basic services for all'… India's urban story may be lauded globally or suffer irreversible damages in the next 10-15 years depending on corrective policy measures and actions taken at the beginning of this decade." Written in September 2021, the lack of any remedial action since then is already manifesting itself across multiple malfunctions, collapses and avoidable disasters. The report also points to a lack of qualified urban planners in the state planning machinery: against 12,000 town planners required at all levels then, there were less than 4,000 sanctioned posts, with half of those lying vacant. What the report fails to mention, though, is that state governments have largely outsourced urban planning to real-estate developers and infrastructure contractors. Projects are designed, finalized and executed based on interests divergent from user interests. This was amply evident in Mumbai over the past 36 months after the city's municipal corporation, under guidance from the state government instead of formal urban governance structures, unleashed multiple construction projects that choked city traffic and worsened air quality. The Smart Cities mission was conceived about 10 years ago, though there is still little clarity about what makes cities 'smart' and whether any city has actually become any smarter. Problems of urbanization in India have also been well documented along with solutions. The smart thing would be to implement some of those suggestions immediately, especially those that will make cities not only more empathetic, but also more resilient to economic downturns and extreme weather events. The author is a senior journalist and author of 'Slip, Stitch and Stumble: The Untold Story of India's Financial Sector Reforms' @rajrishisinghal
